Recommended Viewing: Eric Bana's Love The Beast Film Premieres on SPEED Network
12/9/2009
Eric’s documentary premiered at Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, and was just released theatrically and on DVD in the UK. Now, it’s time for him to hit the states. It premieres Dec. 18 on SPEED.
Australian native
Eric Bana, the star of such blockbuster movies as
Hulk,
Troy and director J.J. Abrams’ recent
Star Trek reboot, makes his directorial debut when the documentary feature
Love the Beast premieres
December 18 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. exclusively on
SPEED – the definitive network for NASCAR, high-performance competition and the automotive lifestyle.
The two-hour presentation focuses on the actor’s 25-year ownership journey with “The Beast,” his Australian-built
1974 Ford GT Falcon Coupe. In the film, self-proclaimed ‘petrol head’ Bana and his fully restored, race-prepared machine take on Targa Tasmania, one of the world’s most dangerous automotive competitions – a race that proves to be too treacherous for even his sturdy mount.
Along the way, Bana enlists the guidance of long-time friends and fellow car fanatics
Jay Leno (The Jay Leno Show),
Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear) and
Dr. Phil McGraw (Dr. Phil Family) to help explain and describe his life-long passion with the automobile.
“Both in front of and behind the camera, this project was clearly a labor of love for Eric Bana,” said SPEED VP of Programming
Robert Ecker. “We are extremely pleased that Love the Beast is making its U.S. television premiere right here on SPEED.”
According to Bana, the ’74 Ford GT Falcon Coupe — a limited production Australian ‘muscle car’ — became one of his life’s draws after watching the 1979 Australian blockbuster
Mad Max, in which
Mel Gibson drove a black
1973 Ford DT Falcon Coupe ‘Pursuit Special’ as a ‘souped up’ chase vehicle. The aggressive body style and rumble of the V8 immediately hooked the youthful actor, sparking the ‘love affair’ around which this feature was constructed.
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I'm looking forward to seeing this film. From the scenes provided in the movie trailer, I thought the shots were clean and well-filmed — a lot crisper than your typical documentary.
You can check out the trailer at the film's website: http://www.lovethebeast.com.au/
If you view the movie, feel free to provide your comments below.
Editor —